Catalytic Converters Stolen for Their Precious Metals
Recently, there has been news about platinum poachers. These are people who saw off catalytic converters from under vehicles. The platinum in catalytic converters is just in small amounts but the recyclers are now willing to pay $38 to over $100 for each catalytic converter due to not only the platinum but the palladium and rhodium in them as well. The platinum itself used to cost $450 per ounce back in the eighties. Nowadays, this precious metal is priced $2,100 or more for each ounce.
What used to be just a car part for controlling pollution has now become one of the hottest items when it comes to stealing. The rate of thieving catalytic converters is becoming alarmingly increasing. This month in Michigan at the Hampton Township, at least seven people have reported stolen catalytic converters from underneath their cars. This trend in stealing doesn’t take in just one place, though. In Charleston, around 17 catalytic converters were stolen in two places: The Love Lexus Dealership located at St. Albans and U-Haul lot located at Jefferson. The latter had reported roughly around 10 catalytic converter thefts. The Lexus Dealership had six parts sawed off from their 2008-2009 Lexus model RX 350 SUV early this February. The price of the sawed off car part had been summed up to $7,200.
This stealing of catalytic converters for their precious metals is happening everywhere, like in California, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. Someone from Colorado said, “Apparently it is a nation-wide epidemic. Mine was stolen at the train station near my home. The armed security guard never saw anyone (but it’s a big lot). The police said it’s common. The internet reports I’ve read say it is most common in SUVs because they are easy to get under. A local Toyota dealer said 18 4Runners were hit last week at the American Idol auditions in Dallas and he had four in his shop waiting for parts.” Despite the growing rate of stealing catalytic converters everywhere, the police still haven’t exactly solved this new bizarre crime.
sources: The Bay City Times and Topix